HCC launched its Coachella Valley Regional Program in 2010. HCC developed the Program in partnership with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership’s Career Pathways, Health Jobs Council www.cvep.com and the Coachella Valley Healthcare Initiative. The goal is to increase opportunities for college students from the Coachella Valley to obtain exposure, experience and mentoring to further their health career pursuit, get connected to local health employers and increase their commitment to become health leaders and professionals that serve the Valley. In addition to their paid internship in a local health organization, all CV interns also play a role in the CV Healthcare Initiative, such as conducting research, outreach, education and advocacy to improve the health of underserved CV populations.
Many CV interns are students from local high school health academy’s and pipeline programs. Many also participate in the Coachella Valley Pathways to Success Scholarship Program. HCC provides a key health career experience and employment component of the pipeline for these and other area students when they are in college.
HCC partners with UC Riverside Medical School to provide workshops, advice and support to HCC interns http://medschool.ucr.edu/difference.html. Its unique mission is improve the health of the people of California and, especially, to serve Inland Southern California by training a diverse workforce of physicians and by developing innovative research and health care delivery programs that will improve the health of the medically underserved in the region. HCC is working to be a pipeline of qualified, diverse candidates for UCR’s Medical School and contribute to this mission.
Organizations that have hosted HCC Coachella Valley Interns include:
- Angel View
- Borrego Community Health Center
- City of Coachella Planning Department
- Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, Pathways Program, Health Council
- Eisenhower Medical Center
- Riverside County Health Department, Palm Springs
- UC Riverside School of Medicine
HCC will work with its partners to expand Coachella Valley sites and opportunities.
